Florence, like any inland
Italian city, is hot and sticky in the summer, and the usual fun activities for
kids visiting with their families-like climbing the cupola, making their way up
to Piazzale Michelangelo to survey the city from high-are out of the question
in the midday heat. Local children are either at the beach, in the mountains or
in one of the city’s various swimming pools (see the list on page 7). Do not
despair: there are plenty of opportunities for kids to have a fun and
educational experience in Florence and around Tuscany this summer.
Following is a list of museums, theme parks, workshops and more guaranteed to
keep the kiddies happy and entertained.
FLORENCE
PALAZZO STROZZI
Piazza Strozzi
Tel. 055/2776461
www.palazzostrozzi.org
Find regularly scheduled English-language workshops for kids during current shows (see the current Event listings for details) as well as special ‘passports’ to the city for families and other kid-friendly activites in both English and Italian. A must stop for any local or visiting family in the summer!
MUSEO DEI RAGAZZI (Children’s Museum)
Palazzo Vecchio
Tel. 055/2768224
www.palazzovecchio-museoragazzi.it
Children can explore parts of the Palazzo Vecchio,
play with Galilean telescopes and dress up as Medici progeny at this Renaissance-themed
fun house.
MUSEO FIORENTINO DI PREISTORIA
(Prehistory
Museum)
Via Sant’ Egidio 21
Tel. 055/295159
www.museofiorentinopreistoria.it
Would-be cave dwellers can explore this collection
filled with artifacts from various prehistoric eras.
MUSEO DELLA SCIENZA
(History of Science Museum)
Piazza dei Giudici 1
Tel. 055/265311, www.imss.fi.it
Interactive exhibits include demonstrations of
functioning antique instruments. Kids will have a ball in the prisms and
optical games room, as well as with the wide variety of machines, models and
mechanisms from centuries past.
LA SPECOLA
Via Romana 17
Tel. 055/2288251
Not for the faint of heart, this
zoological museum is full of stuffed and otherwise preserved animals and
insects. The smaller tots will want to avoid the rooms with gory, life-size
anatomical models of humans.
MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO
Via della Colonna 38
Tel. 055/23575, www.comune.firenze.it/soggetti/sat/didattica/museo.html
Etruscan jewellery, funerary
monuments, urns and bronzes dating as far back as the fifth century BC make
this a treat for any future archaeologist. Don’t miss the new room dedicated to
Native American artefacts.
TREE EXPERIENCE PARK ADVENTURE
Via di Vincigliata, Fiesole
(5km from Florence)
Tel. 055/3984036
Kids will have a blast at this
ropes course/adventure park located high above the city of Florence. Swing through the trees, race over
bridges, jumps and nets or relax on the wooden platforms situated between each
suspended pathway. Competitiveness and physical stress experienced in a context
of fun. The paths unwind from in between the trees and from these one can
attempt anything from bridges, jumps and nets; however there is even the odd
chance to relax on the wooden platforms situated between each suspended
pathway. Be sure to check out the new soft-air shooting range complete with
prizes for the best shooters.
OUT OF TOWN
LEONARDO MUSEUM IN VINCI
Castello dei Conti Guidi, via Montalbano
Tel. 0571/56055
The whole family will delight in
this museum dedicated to Leonardo’s fantastic machines and instruments. A short
drive up the hill through olive groves brings you to the stone farmhouse where
he was born.
GIARDINO ZOOLOGICO
Via
Pieve a Celle 160, Pistoia
Tel. 0573/911219
Visitors to the Pistoia
zoo can get up close and personal with 600 animals, including 65 species of
mammals, 40 species of birds and 30 of reptiles.
PINOCCHIO PARK
Via S. Gennaro 3, Collodi (near Pescia)
Tel. 0572/429342
www.pinocchio.it/eng/pinocchio
Check out art exhibitions, study Pinocchio’s
genealogy, ride merry-go-rounds and visit the mechanical theatre at this park dedicated
entirely to Tuscany’s
most famous wooden wonder. The park also offers interactive activities
including face painting, masks, decorations and storytelling with puppets.
CAVALLINO MATTO AMUSEMENT PARK
Via Po 1, Marina di Castagneto
(near Livorno)
Tel. 0565/745720
Il Cavallino Matto is Tuscany’s largest amusement park, boasting
four roller coasters including a water canon and a safari ride. The park is
located near the Marina di Donoratico beach on the Tyrrhenian
Sea. Live performances by acrobats performed daily.
ACQUA VILLAGE CECINA
Via Tevere 25
Tel. 0586/622539
ACQUA VILLAGE FOLLONICA
Via Sanzio – Zona Cappannino
Tel. 0566/263735
These two water parks located in southern Tuscany boast a variety
of pools, water chutes and slides, in addition to a ‘Magic Lagoon’ complete
with Jacuzzi and a wave pool. Activities for every age group. Grounds include a
snack bar, mini golf, park and shopping center.
CITTÀ DEL TUFO ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
Sorano (near Grosseto)
Tel. 0564/633023
Crawling through ancient tunnels and tombs left by the
Etruscans makes for an Indiana
Jones-style adventure in this park divided into three areas: Sovana, Sorano and
Vitozo. Among the highlights are the necropolis area with its many elaborate
tombs, and the most important cliff settlements in Italy, 200 rocky caves in the Rocca
di Vitozza.
